diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b899cc14..c7f597b8 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ cppunit.
 A dependency is the FAAD2 library. (ubuntu: sudo apt-get install libfaad-dev, fedora: sudo dnf install faad2-devel)
 
 It also depends on fdk-aac with DAB patches (fdk-aac-dab). You'll find it in
-the eponymous subdirectory; build it using:
+the eponymous subdirectory; build it using (you'll need the libtool, autoconf and automake tools installed as well):
 
     $ cd fdk-aac-dab
     $ ./bootstrap
diff --git a/fdk-aac-dab/bootstrap b/fdk-aac-dab/bootstrap
index f55e0c40..1adc3a03 100755
--- a/fdk-aac-dab/bootstrap
+++ b/fdk-aac-dab/bootstrap
@@ -16,5 +16,6 @@ sed -i 's/\(FDK\([^ ]\)AAC\)/\1\2DAB/g' $files
 mv fdk-aac.pc.in fdk-aac-dab.pc.in
 mv fdk-aac.sym fdk-aac-dab.sym
 
+( which aclocal autoreconf libtool ) > /dev/null || echo "aclocal, autoreconf or libtool unavailable. You need that to build."
 autoreconf --install && \
     echo "You can call ./configure now"